To enhance the ability of an individual to perform a task it is helpful, and sometimes essential, to train the individual in an environment that resembles the real-life environment in which the task would be performed. Examples of tasks for which individuals may be effectively trained through the use of a training environment representing the real-life environment include piloting an aircraft, performing repair and maintenance work upon an aircraft or motor vehicle, manufacturing items, and performing military maneuvers.
A commonly-used method of training incorporates the physical recreation of a real-life environment such as an aircraft cockpit, aircraft or motor vehicle segments, a manufacturing facility or work station, or a military target, using sophisticated computer-generated imagery with complex training devices or simulation hardware. There are several disadvantages inherent in these prior art approaches. One disadvantage is the cost of physically recreating the environment. For example, it is very costly to recreate elements of an aircraft or other complex mechanical device. It also is very costly to recreate a geographic area which would be the subject of military maneuvers. The elements of cost include not only the acquisition costs of the recreated environment but also the cost of continued operation and support.
Another disadvantage in utilizing a physical recreation of an environment is that it is difficult to reconfigure the environment to provide different training experiences. For example, if the elements of an aircraft cockpit or vehicle machinery change substantially, it may be necessary to completely rebuild the mechanical environment rather than modify the existing physical structure.
Still another disadvantage of utilizing the prior art environments is that the physical structure may be difficult, or impossible, to move to a different training location or to disassemble and reassemble in a new location. For example, a flight stimulator may be too cumbersome to move to a training site at different geographic location or to place upon a naval vessel. There may often be a need to move the training environment in order to train new individuals or for refresher or upgrade training of previously trained individuals. In addition to the difficulty in moving the physical recreation of an environment, there may be also be a problem in re-locating the physical structure in an area where space is limited.
A further disadvantage of utilizing prior art systems is that training opportunities ma be limited due to constraints that naturally limit access to the recreated environment. For example, only one pilot trainee may use the physical recreation of an aircraft cockpit at a time. Constraints of an environment may also cause difficulties in recreating certain aspects of the environment or recreating certain aspects accurately. For example, in combat training, it may not be possible to recreate climatic and other environmental conditions of an environment. As another example, it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to recreate certain climatic or environmental conditions such as exposure to nuclear radiation or hazardous waste materials. It would likewise be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to create a structure wherein features of an environment, such as a landscape terrain, change during an exercise. This difficulty is particularly acute when the change that occurs in the environment is damage to the environment. The difficulty encountered is in accurately portraying the occurrence of and effect of damage and then subsequently portraying the undamaged environment for additional exercises.
In a more general sense, the physical constraints of an environment often limit the effectiveness of training through the use of a recreated environment because it is very difficult to create a model or structure that accurately depicts the real-life environment. It is important that the training environment resemble the real-life environment as closely as possible so that the individual performing tasks in the training environment will become accustomed to performing in a real-life manner. To optimize training, it is important that the training environment be realistically perceived in as many aspects as possible. Better training may be achieved if the environment is visually realistic. Training may be further optimized if elements of the environment may be interacted with in a realistic manner.
Thus it can be seen that prior art methods involve a number of physical and cost problems due to the size and complexity of these methods. As an alternative, another simpler method of training incorporates a graphic or pictorial recreation of an environment. For example, the pictorial recreation may be by means of a CRT monitor wherein a static or moving picture purports to recreate an environment. Training in this manner is undesirable because the recreated environment lacks realism and does not typically permit interaction therewith.